The Wildcats haven’t lost much this season, but most of their losses have had a common theme: Squandering late leads and not being able to come back. So when Hamilton Southeastern started the second half on a 19-3 run to take a five-point lead, it looked like the script was rewriting itself. But Lawrence North came back and held on for the 42-39 win, thanks in large part to free-throw shooting and defense.

“HSE is an elite team,” Wildcats coach Chris Giffin said. “To be able to beat them and … come back and make a run is exceptional and a steppingstone. We’ve struggled at times to finish games, but to struggle and come back against an elite team, I’m very pleased.”

Trinity Brady paced Class 4A No. 7 Lawrence North (17-4) with 18 points. Despite hitting just 3 of 14 shots from the floor, she hit 10 of 13 from the line.

HSE (14-6) led 37-30 with just shy of 5 minutes to play, but the Wildcats retook the lead with an 8-0 run capped by a Kristian Young 3-pointer with 2:33 to go. The Royals had several chances late to tie or take the lead, but were unable to do so.

The Royals struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 29 percent. The Wildcats’ defense also wreaked havoc for the duration of the game, turning 12 HSE turnovers into 17 points.

Sydney Parrish led the Royals with 16 points.

This is a young Wildcats team that was overlooked by many coming into the season, and both Giffin and Brady admit that they didn’t expect to be where they are. But the players have bought into a common goal, and it has produced results.

“We all work well together,” Brady said. “There’s no selfishness on our team. Everybody wants to win. We’re all on the same page.”

Strong defense has been a trademark of this team all season – it came into Tuesday night allowing 43 points per game. And while the offense has been inconsistent, Brady has carried the load with help from others when she’s needed it.

“She wants the ball and commands the ball. She’s willing to take big shots,” Giffin said of his team’s leading scorer. “You can’t control whether those go in. She hit some big ones for us and her points from the line were crucial down the stretch.”

Brady isn’t naturally one to command attention, but she’s taken it in stride this season. After spending two seasons watching Lauren Dickerson (Miami (Ohio)) and Destiny Perkins (Akron) run the offense, she’s taken the baton. And so far, the results speak for themselves.

“They taught me that everything is fun, and not to worry about anything,” she said of the lessons she learned over the past few years. “Last year, Destiny taught me to not care about what other people think, and to go out and play as hard as you can every time.”